Iran Press/ America: U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, confirmed that the new UK Labour government had informed the U.S. in advance about its decision to limit some weapons sales to Israel.
"This is a decision that the UK has taken based on its own assessments and laws," Miller said, emphasizing the autonomy of the British decision-making process.
Miller further noted that the U.S. has its own evaluations regarding potential violations of humanitarian laws, and investigations into these assessments are ongoing. The UK’s decision was announced on Monday by Foreign Secretary David Lammy during a special session of the House of Commons.
Lammy revealed that approximately 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel would be suspended due to concerns that these weapons might be used in serious violations of international human rights.
Lammy added that after careful assessments over the past two months, the government had no choice but to suspend these licenses as they "could be used to facilitate serious breaches of international laws." However, he clarified that this decision does not amount to a complete arms embargo on Israel and does not include F-35 fighter jets, meaning it will not impact Israel's security.
The UK government has faced significant public pressure to halt arms sales to Israel since the onset of the conflict in Gaza. Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators have taken to the streets across the UK, calling for an end to the war in Gaza and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Polls indicate that a majority of Britons support an arms embargo on Israel and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Research by the reputable YouGov institute shows that 56% of the public wants the government to suspend all arms export licenses to Israel during the conflict in Gaza.
Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had previously claimed that the UK operates the most stringent arms export control system in the world and takes its responsibilities in this area seriously. In his last parliamentary session before the summer recess, Sunak asserted that the government "continually assesses Israel's compliance with international humanitarian laws, and our stance has not changed following the latest reviews."However, the new Labour government, in power for the past two months, has taken a different view, believing that exports of "offensive" weapons to Israel should be reduced.
On Tuesday, UK Defence Secretary John Healy also confirmed in a morning interview with BBC that the licenses for components used in offensive operations against Gaza had been suspended. He emphasized that the government's decision was made within the framework of international humanitarian law.
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